Few details, plenty of questions as Pistorius disputes murder charge

By Faith Karimi and Robyn Curnow, CNN

Updated 0449 GMT (1249 HKT) February 17, 2013

Photos: 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius 17 photos

Photos: 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius – Oscar Pistorius appears in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Monday, March 3. South Africa's double amputee track star is accused of the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on February 14, 2013.

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Photos: 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius 17 photos

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius – Pistorius won gold for the first time at the 2004 Athens Paralympics. He won the 200-meter final and set a new world record. The South African sprinter has been called the "Blade Runner" because of his carbon-fiber prosthetic legs.

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Photos: 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius 17 photos

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius – Prosthetic legs stand on the ground as Pistorius coaches children in Manchester, England, in April 2006.

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'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius – Pistorius competes in a 400-meter race in Berlin in June 2008.

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'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius – Pistorius is seen in Rome during a race in July 2008.

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius – Pistorius poses with his medals from the IPC Athletics World Championships in January 2011. He won three world titles there but lost the 100-meter T44 final to Singleton. It was his first loss in a race over 100 meters since the 2004 Paralympic Games.

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'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius – Pistorius passes the baton to Ofentse Mogawane in a 4x400-meter relay race during the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea, in September 2011. Pistorius was the first double amputee athlete to compete at the World Athletics Championships.

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Photos: 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius 17 photos

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius – Pistorius races in the men's 400 meters during the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Olympic and Paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius on Sunday canceled his appearance in five upcoming races, days after being charged with murder in the shooting death of his girlfriend in South Africa.

The move is meant to help Pistorius focus on the legal proceedings and "help and support all those involved as they try to come to terms with this very difficult and distressing situation," said Peet Van Zyl of Pistorius' management company, In Site Athlete Management.

The Valentine's Day shooting has stunned South Africa, where Pistorius is a national hero. Universal admiration for his sports achievements turned to shock, and with only scant details being made public, the questions are swirling.

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"As you can imagine our entire family is devastated, we are in a state of total shock," said his uncle, Arnold Pistorius, in a written statement. "All of us saw at first hand how close she had become to Oscar during that time and how happy they were."

"We have no doubt there is no substance to the allegation and that the State's own case, including its own forensic evidence, strongly refutes any possibility of a premeditated murder or indeed any murder at all."

Pistorius, 26, also rejected the murder allegation "in the strongest terms," his agent said in a statement.

'Medals are just medals'

But Saturday, two days after Steenkamp's death, some South Africans remained puzzled over his alleged involvement.

Despite the fact that he is innocent until proven guilty, some said the allegation has tainted his image.

"I was very shocked. A mother lost a daughter. I was not expecting anything like this from someone like him," said Nondumiso Mlondo, who lives in Durban.

"Everybody is still talking about it. Just think of those young kids who want to be like him, who are looking up to him. After his Olympic success, we were hoping for something bigger for him this year ... look what has happened."

Citizens carried on heated discussions in buses, bars, barber shops.

"People are saying .. why do stars make a point of screwing up when they are doing so well?" Mlondo asked. "Medals are just medals ... I don't care whether he has hundreds of them, he should be held accountable."

Most of the victims of gun homicides in the nation of 50 million people are between the ages 20 and 30, he said.

South Africa has passed tough legislation that includes a requirement for a thorough background check for prospective gun owners. The check includes spouses and partners, and is repeated every few years, he said.

"People acquire guns believing they are more safe ... but they place themselves at greater risk," Storey said. "We've made airplanes a gun-free zone. We need to bring that logic down to earth."

"There are already more than enough laws and regulations to control the possession of firearms by private citizens," it says on its website. "Fewer and less complex laws reasonably, yet properly, applied could achieve the required objective."

Postponed bail hearing

Beyond the violence, South Africans struggled with the idea that they've lost a hero, an athlete who defied incredible physical odds to become a global star.

His face became a fixture on billboards across the nation, some of which started coming down after his arrest.

The Pretoria court postponed Pistorius' bail hearing to Tuesday and ordered him to remain in custody until then. Prosecutors said they will argue that he committed premeditated murder.

Authorities said they will oppose bail, but did not provide their reasons for the decision.